Inflating gauge



R. W.I ZIMMERIVIAN.

INFLATING GAUGE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 3. |918.

Imam@ Nov. 2L w22.

WIW

Patented Novn 2l, i922,

INFLATING- GAUGE.

Application filed .Tune 31918.

, MAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, inthe county or Cook and State of l'llinois, have invented certain new and useful improvements in ln'tlating Gauges, of which the following a specification.

rllhis invention relates to iniiating gauges through which to indicate the degree oi: pressure within a pneumatic device to be maintained under internal pressure, hereinafter referred Ato for convenience, though without limitation, as the tire7 rlhe invention is intended primarily i'or embodiment in the known type of gauges which may remain attached to the charging nipple ot the tire so. as to be ready for use at any time and adapted to be called into play for indicating` purposes by simply manipulating a key toL rtemporarily unseat the tire valve.

The invention is preferably Yembodied in a type of gauge that admits of the equally well-known practice of applying the inflating `medium throughk the gauge housing so that iniiation may take place without the inconvenience of removing the gauge, and the development oi' pressure within the tire may be observed as it progresses7 and arrested upon attainment of ythe desired degree ot pressure. f v

One object oi' the present invention is to provide a gauge of the type described of such construction that while its pressure chamber is vat all times in communication with the valve tube of the tire, the gauge will aord the same additional security against leakage which is ordinarily insured by the application ci a cap over the end oic the valve tube, to which end the housing of the'gauge is rendered permanently airtight ;v

and a subordinate object in this connection is to maintain this air-tight condition notwithstanding the manipulation of themeans for unseating the tire valve, to which end a further feature consists in locating the unseating'key in the air-tight chamber and having its manipulating end extended to the outside of the housing without destroying the aforesaid air-tight condition. In realizing these features of the invention, the housing is provided with an attaching 'tube that screws over the valve tube of the tire and seats against the end thereof with a suitable packing, while the pressure chamber of the Athe latter during travel.

Serial No. 237,965.

D is at all times in communication with the valve tube, and the unseating key is either in the form oi a jack-lever, ifulcrumed within the housing` and having an openinff in the housing within which is a cup plunbger that permitsthe key to move without unsealingnthehousingg or in the form oft a cam sliding in the line of the transverse axis of the housing and engaging through a slot in a plunger that is adapted to unseat the tire valve, this sliding cam being mounted through means oi" the cup` plunger similarly to the jack-lever, and the unseat-ing plunger being surrounded with a packing through which it hermetically closes communication Yfrom the valve tube'of the tire. riihe internal pressure against this cup plungerl will normally be suiiicient to insure return movement of the key and litt the lever sufficiently abovethe valve stem to avoid contact with n But incidentally thecup plunger serves as an abutment tor a spring that normally resists inward movement of the key and prevents vibration thereof inthe travel ot the vehicle which might cause it toencounter the tire valve and work a gradualleakage trom the tire.

Another object or my invention is to so construct the parts that the entire gauge is rendered water-tight and dust-prooi1 in addition to the air-tight condition or' the pressure chamber, to which end the weighing tube or gauge tube is provided with a closed housing end through which the indicator stem works and against which the head of the indicator stem seats with an intervening packing, while the gauge tube is fitted firmly at its lower open end into a seat, preferably7 screwthreaded, in the housing4 A further feature consists in providing means for maintaining the air-tight condition or' the gauge housing while permitting the use of its pressure chamber as a part ot the inating conduit, to which end a further 'feature consists in providing the pressure chamberv with a. threaded nipple receive theair hose, an outwardly seating valve opening under pressure from the air hose but seating under internal pressure, and a cap ior the inllating nipple provided with the usual intervening packing.

Two embodiments or the invention, wh' however, are to be regarded as merely il trative and not dei'initive or the scope of tne invention, are shown in the accompanying drawing, in which- Fig. 1 is an external View of the complete gauge,

Fig. 2 is an axial section of one form thereof;

Fig. 3 isa sectional View showing a modiied construction of valve controlling means and method of making a hermetic closure between the tire tube andthe gauge housf ing; and l A y p Fig. Llis a detailvew of parts shown in Fig. 3. p t

A Referring to` all the igures, 1 represents' the gauge-housing` which is prividedwith an attachingftube 2,' threaded at 3, to receive lthefnormal valve tube of the tire and having apa'cking 4l (Figures 2 and 3) or ta" (Figures 3 anelli) through which it seats aroundor upon the end of said tube when the gauge is *screwed into position.' T he'housing is conl structed with a pressure chamber 5 commu- Inicating 'withl .thel valve tube through the 'fport 6, and supporting' the gauge tube 7, i

"'tlireaded'i'nto the flangey 8 of the housing, as

which is preferably attached by being shown. The lgauge'tube contains the usual I pressure 'piston 9, 'resisted by the'weighing as shown,"but 'seating against the end'by spring 10 and vhaving the gauge stem 11'protrudingithroughthe end'` of thegauge tube,

.means-of its'head 12 with `intervening p'ack- -ing 13, which becomes the means for limit-y ling'downward movementy ofthe piston 9 unfore, closes `the upper endl of lthe tube dust f tight.

der the action of the `spring 10, and, there- @Referring to Fig. 2,14 represents the ungrec of pressure within the tire. The key is preferably packed by. means of va `cupy plunvger? 16 which fits within the tube of the' gauge housing, while theportion'of the key Within the pressure lchamber is preferably in the form of a jack-lever 17 fulcrumed at 18,

"having Vflexible connection 19 with the ma- 'j ynipulating stem 15, and formed with a downturned end 20, through which it is 'adapted toi'encounter'the tire valve: stem 21.

'other important feature of the unseating key is that it has a suflicient range of movement to act upon the valvestem, notwithstanding 'the 'widely ,differing positions 'which these valve stemsy assume in relation to the endof =the valve tubel andthe maintenance of the `air-tight` condition of the pressure chamber.

'l/Vhile internal pressure within the chamber: `5' would' ordinarily be suicient to return'theA V' cup' plunger 16 to its outer limit and hold tween the inner face thereof and theY valve hollow of'tstemi'25 of valvei24. Wfitlf'this ltight clcsureat this end of thelgafu'gehousand carries lpacking 20c through which it closes the opening`6.i The co-actionbe'twe'en the cam 1411a and the plunger '20L is'suchy that the cam mov esthe plunger positively in both directions. The s'tem `15a `ofthe camj 14a is provided with the cup 'plunger'16 alsl inthe other form but the s`pring`22is located be- 24 'so as to serve alike'for both 'these'rrieim bers. i Preferably thestem of the canili? is provided 'with 'an' extension 14C? for" guiding the spring `,22EL and this "stein wolrkslinthe embodiment it will bey necessary tc niove'tthe unseating 'cam' 14121 inward 'atthetimeof inflationof the tirej` as wellj as "when it' is vdesired to take a readingof thetire pressure.

In order to adapt the gauge for during 95 inflation,'the pressure 4chamber 5 is'providedv with an attachingnipple`23ftoreceive the ordinaryl air hose, and YtlliisiendofI thefpressure chamber is closed by" an'V outwardly seating check-va1've'245, withfthe 'ste'm25 incon- 100 venient 'I reach l'for unseating this@ check-v valvein case the tire isovver-chai",` ,ed;l 4,Afcap 26 with packing' 27 tof be applied over "the nipple 23'when not in'use c'ompletesthe `airing. Any suitable spring may be employed for seating'the vcheck-valve24, butl" prefer to use the spring that is employed 4for holding the cupplunger 16` to-"its` A'outer limit, the check-'valve 24"'and the cupl pliinger" 16 thus serving mutually' as spring fabutrnents for each other, and assembly of the parts being thus facilitated.l *Of course it'will'be understood 'that the coils ofthe spring'are sucientlyop'en to' permitthe l'end20 ofthe 115 lever 17 to work'through thec'oils.y y'

v i Claim; y

l.y An in'fl'atingv gauge fortires having "an attaching tube adapted to `receiveI the" valve tube oftheftire, agaugetube "aliied` with said attaching tube','jan"`intermediate chamber connecting said tubes and p'rovidedfwithf'v an inlating connection, 'attire 'valve'fiins ting 4plunger working transve'rsely'throg said lintermediate chamber in the; direction bf the 125 axis of said tubes, and an `actuator extending tl'crongh said plunger and having cams working against the 'saine to'fi'lmpart bothitsv unseatlng 'and"returninovements y 2. A tire gauge comprising ahousing con- 130 structed with a permanently air-tight pressure chamber, an unseating key, an operating stem for said key, an infiating port alined with said stein in said housing and having a check valve acting oppositely to said stem, and a common spring for holding said valve and key to their outer limits.

3. A tire gauge comprising an attaching tube, a valve unseating plunger in said tube, a controlling cam moving transversely to said plunger and positively moving the same in both directions and means for controlling said cam.

4. A tire gauge comprising an attaching tube, a valve unseating plunger in said tube, a controlling cam moving transversely to said plunger and positively moving the same in both directions and means for controlling said cam; said gauge also having an inflating valve arranged coaxially With the controlling cam and having a spring interposed between said inflating valve and the controlling cam.

5. A tire gauge comprising van attaching tube, a valve unseating plunger in said tube, a controlling cam moving transversely to said plunger and positively moving the same in both directions and means for controlling said cam; said gauge also having an inating valve arranged cOaXially With the controlling cani and having a spring interposed between said inlating valve and the controlling cam, and said controlling cam having its stem prolonged and working in the stern of the initiating valve.

Signed at Chicago, State of Illinois, this 29th day of May, A. D., 1918.

RALPH W. ZIMMERMAN.

Vitnesses:

Miss H. Hns'rERBnRG, ALBERT M. SAXE. 

